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The Biggest News From SIHH, the Coachella of Watches

Re-released classics, feats of engineering, and watches with a sugar rush.

This week, the world’s top watch brands and the diehard enthusiasts are in Switzerland for the 29th annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. (Thankfully, it has an acronym: SIHH.) It's like Coachella for watch geeks, with brands bringing out their big guns and looking to make news. A few came out swinging, too—so far SIHH has brought us candy-inspired watches, lots of skeletal dials, and a controversial launch that's got the whole watch world fired up. Let's dive in:

Richard Mille and the Chocolate Factory

Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille—famous for brightly colored watches so lightweight that brand ambassador Rafael Nadal has worn them during matches—took some inspiration from Willy Wonka for its Bonbon collection. The Technicolor watches seem to have colors from pillows of cotton candy, sugary fruit gummies, and candy canes. They cost a bit more than a trip to CVS's candy aisle, though: Pieces from the new Bonbon collection start at $122,000.

Father Stretch My (Watch) Hands Pt. 1

Cartier announced it’s re-releasing the Tonneau in platinum and pink gold this year. And while we know fashion trends fit into a cycle, it’s not everyday that they loop 113 years into the past and return with something so tailor-made for right now. But the Cartier Tonneau, originally released in 1906 (!!), is that rare piece: oversize, a little strange yet elegant. In other words, it fits perfectly into the current era of men’s style.

Audemars Piguet Tries Something Different...

Over the past several decades, Audemars Piguet has become almost synonymous with its signature Royal Oak model. The stop-sign-faced watch was revelatory when it was released in 1972 as the first luxury sport watch, and customers still line up for new versions of the Royal Oak in variations like rose gold or a "Shaquille O’Neal" with a special-edition jumbo-size stainless steel case. Quietly, AP has spent the better part of this decade—seven years—eager to add another blockbuster hit to its portfolio. The result is the Code 11:59, a six-model watch family (currently only available in rose or white gold) that features some intense design details. The round bezel and case bottom sandwich an octagonal...mid-case? The lugs are hollow, like flying buttresses. The crystal employs some double-curve witchcraft to make sure the dial looks crisp from all angles. The Code 11:59 has also been the most polarizing release at the festival—but the Royal Oak also took some time to grow on people before it ascended to watch grail status.

...and Remembers There Can’t Be Too Much of a Good Thing

For Audemars, SIHH wasn’t just a chance to broaden the lineup. The brand also stuck to what it does best: releasing new versions of the Royal Oak. AP announced a smaller iteration of the watch, with a 38mm case, as compared to the standard 41mm model. Welcome to the slimmer, trimmer, more unisex world of watches, Royal Oak.

Watch

Henry Golding Shows Off Some Tasty Timepieces From His Collection

Jaeger-LeCoultre and the Gong Show

Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newest watch has a crazy-long name—Master Grand Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpetual—that hints at the kitchen-sink levels of engineering tucked inside. Individually, a gyroscopic tourbillon (for balancing out the effects of gravity on a watch's accuracy) and a perpetual calendar (with the day, date, and year all displayed). But the showstopper here is a set of hammers and gongs that replicate the four-note chime of Big Ben, the legendarily large timepiece installed at the Palace of Westminster. At 43mm wide, the Jaeger-LeCoultre is slightly more wearable.

A. Lange & Söhne Re-Release a Classic

In 1990, Walter Lange and legendary watch executive Günter Blümlein revived the A. Lange & Söhne brand, which had been shuttered since 1948. The resuscitated brand’s greatest success is the Lange 1, a watch with neatly separated functions: date in the top right portion, hour and minute on the left opposite the power reserve, and seconds on the bottom. For the 25th anniversary of the reformed brand’s breakout hit, A. Lange & Söhne is releasing a special edition with engraving on the case back that features the building where the brand has manufactured its watches since 1873.

The Watch That Won’t Quit

The transparency trend we’ve seen in sneakers and luggage over the past 12 months has carried over to watches. But the skeletal design isn’t even the main draw on this Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar. All watch movements have a heartbeat—a frequency at which they "tick"—and a faster heartbeat means more precision, but also expends more of the movement's juice while it's not being worn. Vacheron Constantin’s new watch is programmed with two frequencies: one for active mode and one for standby. In active mode, the power reserve lasts four days; in standby mode, up to 65 days. The new feature is a huge sell: You could take the watch off your wrist, come back two months later, and not have to reset the time.